International migration has a strong impact on the living standards of vast numbers of individuals, and on the financial stability of developing countries. Yet the policy framework of migration and development remains relatively weak. This is in part because evidence supporting direct linkages between migration and development is not well known to policymakers, and controversies persist because what is known about migration and development has not been fully incorporated into the analysis of development dynamics.

In some policy circles, emigration is still seen as a drain on a country’s human resources, rather than an opportunity for those who leave to become more productive and, if the circumstances are right, to contribute more to their countries of origin than if they had remained.

This policy brief distills findings from a series of policy briefs by a group of international experts on migration and development released in advance of the UN High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in October 2013. The series covers topics such as remittances, circular migration, skilled migration, the recruitment of migrant workers, the demography of migration, and more.

In the Spotlight

Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development: A Handbook

The user-friendly guide, a project of MPI and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), offers a strategic road map for governments to build a constructive relationship with diasporas and examines the success and failure of policies, programs, and initiatives undertaken to date.

Free Book Download: Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy

​The volume, which examines the development impact of diasporas in six critical areas—entrepreneurship, investment in countrty-of-origin capital markets, heritage tourism and trade, philanthropy, volunteering, and advocacy—is now available to download for free in its entirety.

Migrants, Migration, and Development

MPI's Migrants, Migration, and Development Program focuses on the intersection of migration and development policies and trends, moving beyond simple notions that development is a “cure” for migration or that migration is a recipe for development.